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The effects of short and long-term tocolytic therapy, with salbutamol on renin activity, aldosterone levels, sodium and potassium concentration in urine, blood, and red blood cells in 44 pregnant women were studied. No significant changes were observed in renin activity and aldosterone levels between the 1st and 5th days of i.v. or p.o. therapy and in 24-h sodium urinary excretion. Serum potassium levels significantly decreased by the 2nd and 4th h from start of i.v. infusion of salbutamol, returning to preinfusion levels within 24-36 h, whereas no concomitant increase in red cell potassium levels was detected. Urinary potassium excretion showed significant decrease within 24 h from start of i.v. therapy, returning to control levels after 48 h. No change in sodium concentration in blood and red blood cells was observed.

A single oral dose of glibenclamide (2.5 mg) was given to eight healthy volunteers in a randomized cross-over study after a standardized fasting and breakfast (374 kcal), with or without a concomitant intake of 10 ml of antacid suspension. Serum glibenclamide levels were determined by means of a specific radioimmunoassay method. The areas under the blood concentration-time curves (AUC0-infinity), with or without antacid, were 408.17 +/- 168.25 and 307.9 +/- 84.13 ng/ml (p less than 0.05), respectively. The peak concentrations of 96.88 +/- 49.9 and 66.19 +/- 32.35 ng/ml/h (p less than 0.05) with or without antacid, were reached in 4.13 and 3.81 h, respectively. Values of tmax, Vd and t1/2 were not affected by the presence of the antacid. A 33% increase in bioavailability of glibenclamide emerged, as seen from the respective AUC values, but no clinically remarkable effect was observed in the subjects.

In this double-blind study versus placebo, the anti-migraine efficacy of flunarizine 20 mg/per os/day for 14 days, followed by 10 mg/per os/day up to 120 days has been evaluated in 30 patients suffering from common and classical migraine. During the trial the vestibular function (slow phase velocity (SPV) and number of spikes) was also studied. To date 18 patients have completed the study. The results show a significant difference before and after the treatment with flunarizine, while no difference was observed in the placebo group, with regard to headache unit indices. Flunarizine seems to increase SPV max, which is reduced between attacks in migraine patients; the number of spikes does not change significantly.